Brokers Issue Forecasts for LKQ’s Q3 Earnings (NASDAQ:LKQ)

LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research lowered their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for LKQ in a research report issued on Tuesday, January 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the auto parts company will post earnings per share of $0.85 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.89. Zacks Research has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for LKQ’s current full-year earnings is $3.57 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for LKQ’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.63 EPS.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The auto parts company reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.10. LKQ had a return on equity of 13.45% and a net margin of 4.99%.The company had revenue of $3.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.54 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.88 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on LKQ. Barclays started coverage on shares of LKQ in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $33.00 price objective for the company. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $43.00 price target (down previously from $46.00) on shares of LKQ in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Stephens started coverage on LKQ in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $39.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded LKQ from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of LKQ in a report on Monday, December 29th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, LKQ currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $44.33.

LKQ Price Performance

NASDAQ:LKQ opened at $32.62 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $31.28. LKQ has a 1-year low of $28.13 and a 1-year high of $44.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.35 billion, a PE ratio of 12.08 and a beta of 0.91.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. New South Capital Management Inc. increased its position in LKQ by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. New South Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,313,761 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $40,122,000 after buying an additional 8,981 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its stake in shares of LKQ by 1.2% in the third quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 909,710 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $27,783,000 after acquiring an additional 10,616 shares in the last quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC increased its position in LKQ by 6.1% during the third quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 536,345 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $16,380,000 after acquiring an additional 31,042 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers raised its stake in LKQ by 4.7% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 535,387 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $19,815,000 after purchasing an additional 23,835 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thompson Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in LKQ by 14.0% in the 4th quarter. Thompson Investment Management Inc. now owns 374,299 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $11,304,000 after purchasing an additional 46,052 shares in the last quarter. 95.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting LKQ

Here are the key news stories impacting LKQ this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ cuts leave the consensus full‑year estimate unchanged at $3.57 per share (Zacks individually lowered its FY2026 to $3.06 and FY2027 to $3.30, but the broader consensus cited in reports remains $3.57). This preserves a reference point for comparing future analyst revisions. Zacks Research
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded LKQ from “Hold” to “Strong Sell” and repeatedly lowered EPS estimates across multiple quarters (Q1–Q4 and several quarters in FY2026–FY2027), signaling weaker near‑term earnings outlook and increased downside risk for the stock. These widespread cuts are the primary catalyst for negative sentiment and could pressure the share price if other analysts follow suit. TickerReport on Zacks downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch flagged that LKQ underperformed its competitors on Wednesday, a sign that relative weakness may be emerging within the auto‑parts/aftermarket group. Underperformance vs peers can attract selling or lead to further analyst scrutiny. MarketWatch: LKQ underperforms

LKQ Company Profile

LKQ Corporation is a leading provider of alternative and specialty parts to repair and accessorize automobiles and other vehicles. The company supplies a broad range of replacement components, including recycled original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts, aftermarket parts, refurbished and remanufactured items. Its products support collision repair, mechanical repair and performance enhancement needs across passenger cars, heavy trucks and recreational vehicles.

Through a combination of in-house operations and strategic acquisitions, LKQ has developed a comprehensive product portfolio that extends beyond core replacement parts.